By Daniel Vreeland

Just a year ago, the common fan would have likely never heard of Jason Knight. Although "The Kid" is still not quite a household name, his four wins in under a year has launched him into the top 15 of the UFC's featherweight division.

This weekend -- at the UFC 214 showcase -- he'll look to keep that streak going against No. Ricardo Lamas.

In an interview with FloCombat's Top Turtle MMA podcast, Knight discussed his gym in Mississippi, what he's done with his bonus money, and why he wants to face Cub Swanson.

Money and ATVs

In addition to picking up win bonuses in his last four fights, Jason Knight has also snagged three performance bonuses in those fights. That money brought him a lot of financial comfort.

"It's awesome. I owe $10,000 on my house and it'll be paid off and I just turned 25 years old," Knight said. "It'll be paid off after this fight -- win, lose, or draw."

But while Knight has done some responsible things with his new money, he also admits he's "still just a kid" and proclaims he's not a "full grown-ass man yet." As a result, the Mississippi native from modest beginnings had a little fun with his bonus money too

"I've never had a four-wheeler in my life until now," Knight said. "I've got four four-wheelers, two Ranger 800s. I've got four vehicles right now. All my hard work is finally paying off. It took me 10 years to get where I'm at, but I'm finally where I want to be and still trying to climb a little higher." 

So when Top Turtle host Dave Tramonte asked what Jason Knight does on a Saturday night, it was a no-brainer.

"Now that I got all of these ATVs and UTVs, on a Saturday night you're going to most likely catch me out there motor-riding and drinking some beer and having some fun," Knight said.

But it's not all fun and games for "The Kid".

"I have three kids, (so) if I'm not out playing (and) having some fun, I'm being a family man, taking care of my family." 

Mississippi MMA

The state of Mississippi has never been a hotbed for MMA stars. However, thanks to Alan Belcher MMA in D'Iberville, Mississippi, there has been an influx of UFC fighters from the southern state. In addition to Knight, UFC heavyweight Chase Sherman also picked up a win this weekend (his second straight).

And in the words of Knight, it has to do with far more than just the namesake of the gym.

"Alan is a great coach, but we have a squad of coaches down here," he said. 

Knight referenced assistant coaches Mike Sandford and Tyler Hill who have helped him, but also his fellow fighter who'll be on the growingly popular Dana White Tuesday Night Contender Series.

"A guy named Brandon Davis. He's a striking coach," Knight said. "He's an up-and-coming fighter. He's going to be fighting on the Contender Series the first of August. He's a badass striking coach."

While he gave a lot of the credit to the assistants, Belcher's help is certainly valuable to Knight.

"We've got way more than Alan Belcher, but Alan has got the experience," Knight said. "He's got the skills and he's trained with some of the best people in the world. He comes back and he brings that to us."

And it's the experience of Belcher and the staff that Knight believes will put Mississippi MMA on the map for good. 

"Mississippi is not all that known for fighters, but that's only because Mississippi has never really got the chance to get out there and shine," he said. "We're finally starting to put Mississippi on the map a little bit. Give us a couple years and we'll be just as well-known as all of these bigger gyms."

Future and Cub Swanson

This weekend will mark Knight's fifth fight in just over a year. When asked if he wants to keep that pace, he made no doubt about it.

"If I got the belt around my waist, I still wanna fight as much as possible," Knight said. "If I could, I would fight every other week. There's nothing like that big adrenaline rush on the way to the cage."

In order to keep that pace, he's of course got a next opponent in mind. Being careful not to overlook Lamas, he's already got a call-out in store.

"I think the only logical option would be Cub Swanson," he said.

And a fight with Cub Swanson is one that Knight thinks would draw some eyeballs.

"After this one, I call out Cub Swanson, me and him fight, and that should put us on a poster."

Listen to the full interview with Jason Knight from the Top Turtle MMA Podcast here 

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